He had, he thought, been very firm and gave
himself some credit on that head. His father, no doubt, had been
firm too, but that he had expected. His father had said much. All
that about honour and duty had been very good; but this was
certain;--that when a young man had promised a young woman he ought
to keep his word. And he thought that there were certain changes
going on in the management of the world which his father did not
quite understand. Fathers never do quite understand changes which
are manifest to their sons. Some years ago it might have been
improper that an American girl should be elevated to the rank of
an English Duchess, but now all that was altered.
The Duke spent the rest of the day alone, and was not happy in his
solitude. All that Silverbridge had told him was sad to him. He
had taught himself to think that he could love Lady Mabel as an
affectionate father wishes to love his son's wife. He had set
himself to wish to like her, and had been successful. Being most
anxious that his son should marry he had prepared himself to be
more than ordinarily liberal,--to be in every way gracious.
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